Get Help

Our office handles civil liberties and civil rights matters arising in the state of Tennessee. If your issue arises elsewhere, please contact the ACLU office in that area. To find the address for the appropriate affiliate, please visit the national ACLU website.

Among the issues we work on are freedom of speech, freedom of religion, privacy, discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation or disability, police misconduct, censorship in school or libraries, fairness in application of school discipline, access to government documents, inhumane jail and prison conditions, and other issues of fair treatment by government.

What We Do

We offer information in response to specific inquiries or concerns.

We explain to people how to assert their rights and advocate on their own behalf.

When we can't help, we refer people to other organizations that may be able to.

We undertake lawsuits in matters that raise civil liberties or civil rights issues that affect the lives of many people. However, the number of cases that we take is relatively small.

We also provide general information and speakers to schools and community groups and offer comments before governmental bodies.

What We Don't Do

The ACLU is not a general legal services organization and we normally cannot provide emergency services.

Although there are exceptions, the ACLU does not generally assist in these types of cases: criminal defense, post-conviction appeals, divorce custody matters, property disputes, tax problems, landlord-tenant disputes, appeals of building code violations, terminations from a job without a good reason, or complaints against lawyers or judges. Exceptions would occur only when these issues raise a clear and new civil liberties issue.

To Get Help

The best and fastest way to get help is by completing our online form. If we believe we can assist you, we will contact you for more information within ten business days.

We do not currently take intake by phone or email. In-person interviews are generally not possible, although translators and ASL signers can be arranged.

The online form is the preferred way for you to submit your complaint. If there is absolutely no way for you to submit your complaint online, please complete the printable complaint form and mail it to: ACLU-TN Intake, P.O. Box 120160, Nashville, TN 37212. If we believe we can assist you, we will contact you for more information within three to five weeks.

To learn more about how we decide to take on a legal case and other Frequently Asked Questions, click here.

For additional resources and information on specific issues, click here.